CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
6:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States)
The Skies Above the Persian Gulf, near Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Two American F-18 Super Hornets flew combat air patrol along the Saudi coast.
Commander Henry “Hank” Anderson glanced at his radar. There was a lot of tension out here today. It was so thick you could slice a hunk off and chew on it. His patrol had diverted a couple of mock attacks from Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s in the early afternoon. Now, up ahead, three fighters had just taken off from King Abdulaziz Air Base. He radioed air control.
“Bare Ace, Bare Ace, this is 101, do you read?”
“Copy, 101.”
“We’ve got three bogeys leaving Abdulaziz. Number one appears to be on intercept heading.”
“Distance?” the air controller said.
“I’m at twenty thousand
